1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle impact absorbing body and, in particular, an impact absorbing body for vehicle occupant protection provided between a vehicle external panel and door trim.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Vehicle interior components that are provided in, for example, vehicle doors, and the like, are structured to protect a vehicle occupant by absorbing the impact load and reducing the load placed on the vehicle occupant. For example, the vehicle interior components can flex or deform when an impact load from the side of the vehicle is applied during a side collision, such as when the vehicle is struck in the side by another vehicle, or the like.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication 2009-161028 (hereinafter the “JP '028 patent application”) discloses an impact absorbing body that is able to provide stabilized impact absorbing performance through the formation of recessed ribs on the sidewall of a hollow structure made from thermoplastic resin, as an energy absorbing body for protecting, primarily, the hips and shoulders of a vehicle occupant from the collision.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication 2004-090852 (hereinafter the “JP '852 patent application”) discloses an impact absorbing structure configured to absorb the collision energy efficiently, through the provision of a thin-walled portion in the sidewall of a cylindrical portion made from a resin molding.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication 2009-012559 (hereinafter the “JP '559 patent application”) discloses an impact absorbing body including a hollow box unit made from resin, so as to absorb an impact through buckling and deforming during a side collision. This impact absorbing body of the JP '559 patent application is formed with a corner cut portion at a corner portion between a top face wall and two side face walls and also with interior ribs, so as to suppress a steep increase in the reaction force at an early stage of the collision, and so that there will be no excessive reduction in the reaction force in the latter half of the impact.